The African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup return this week after a nine-month break, with high stakes for several top teams. With six rounds left in the 10-match group stage, the upcoming two fixtures will be crucial in shaping the destiny of many nations.
Cameroon opened the door for Libya, Cape Verde or Angola to take control of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group following a shock 0-0 draw in Eswatini on Wednesday night.
The Group D pacesetters, boasting seasoned campaigners such as Vincent Aboubakar and Bryan Mbuemo in the forward line, went into the game against the pool makeweights as favourites to dispatch them to a fifth consecutive defeat.
But the hosts soaked up the pressure to blunt an attack that had notched up nine goals in its previous four matches.
The result at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit provided Eswatini with their first point of the campaign and left Cameroon on 9 points.
Cape Verde will go top on Thursday afternoon with victory over Mauritius. Libya can leapfrog Cape Verde if they see off Angola on Thursday night.
Cameroon's stutter confirmed the analysis of the South Africa coach Hugo Broos during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire.
"This tournament has shown us that the so-called little countries have made a lot of progression," said the Belgian just before his team beat Democratic Republic of Congo to take third place.
Progress
Cote d'Ivoire, who ultimately claimed the 2023 Cup of Nations crown, could go into Friday's clash in Burundi in second place in Group F should Gabon take all three points from their home game against Seychelles who have lost all four of their matches.
During the 2023 Cup of Nations, the Ivorians recovered from a chaotic start to grind their way to the final and beat Nigeria.
Emerse Faé, who was appointed just before the final match of the group stages, has steered the Elephants - as they are nicknamed - to top spot in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with three wins and a draw.
"We closed one page last November by qualifying for the 2025 Cup of Nations," said Faé when announcing his squad for the matches against Burundi and Gambia.
"And we're here to move towards qualification for the 2026 World Cup which will be an important achievement for Ivoiran football.
"It's an obligation for us and we must not fall short."
The Ivorians last featured at the World Cup when it was held in Brazil in 2014. It was their third consecutive appearance at the quadrennial event and, like in the other two in Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010, they failed to emerge from the group stages.
National teams missed out on the two following editions.
"Our task is simple," added Faé. "We need to emerge from the next two games with our slight advantage. We must not take the teams lightly. We have to play seriously and come out with our heads held high."
Challenge
Nigeria, who are seeking a seventh appearance at the World Cup, play their next two games against Group C pacesetters Rwanda on Friday and Zimbabwe next Tuesday.
The Nigerians have yet to win a game in the pool. After three draws and a defeat, the footballers from Africa's most populous country lie in fifth place behind South Africa, Benin and Lesotho.
However, victory at the Amaharo Stadium in Kigali would catapult them back into the thick of the action for the automatic qualifying berth.
Rwanda, under the German Torsten Spittler, were impressive in the opening tranche of games to take them to the top of the group.
But the 63-year-old departed in January and his replacement, Adel Amrouche, will oversee the crunch against Nigeria who will also be sporting a new coach in the shape of Eric Chelle.
The 47-year-old took over from interim coach Augustine Eguavoen in January with the mission from the Nigeria football federation to guide the side to the next World Cup.
Morocco, who in Qatar became the first African squad to reach the semis at a World Cup, go into Friday night's encounter against Niger as the only team with a 100 percent record in the African qualifiers.
Head coach Walid Regragui orchestrated the historic surge to glory just over two years ago and has drafted 19-year-old Chemsdine Talbi and 22-year-old Hamza Igamane into the squad to inject some zest to the attack and reward their exploits with Club Brugge and Rangers respectively.
"The goal is to qualify for the World Cup and to do it as qucikly as possible," said Wagragui on the eve of the clash at the Stade d'honneur d'Oudja.
Speed
"We're playing against Niger and Tanzania and we want to do well to achieve our goals swiftly."
Group A leaders Egypt enjoy a four-point advantage over Guinea-Bissau who kick off the games in the pool on Thursday against Sierra Leone.
Egypt play in Ethiopia on Friday night after Burkina Faso's tie against Djibouti who prop up the table.
Africa could have as many as 10 teams competing in the 2026 World Cup.
As well as the nine group winners, four of the best second-placed sides will compete in an African play-off for the right to enter a tournament with teams from five other confederations.
They will battle for two spots for the finals which take place between 11 June and 19 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
